behind, stayed on under pressure from 2 out but not trouble leaders
tracked leader, chased winner before 2 out, kept on and weakened before last
close up, losing touch and blundered 4th, never dangerous afterwards
led, headed after 7th and gradually weakened
held up, ridden after 4th, soon lost touch, tailed off
in touch, led after 7th, stayed on well
held up mid-division, chased winner 7th, stayed on one pace, always held
always rear, tailed off before 5th
in touch, blundered 6th, stayed chasing leaders, weakened before last
Already a dual winner over both hurdles and fences in France, Mistral Boy will be tough to beat here and is taken to defy his penalty at the main expense of Lustral du Seuil and Saltango. The last mentioned looked a sure-fire future winner when finding just My Way De Solzen too good on his hurdling debut at Leicester last month but may have to settle for a minor role again with the selection hard to oppose. Guillaume Macaire's gelding has plenty of experience and good form to go with it and looks to have been found a decent opportunity to record his third win over timber today. Noel Chance's Stratford bumper winner Gold Again may have needed the run on his reappearance at Newbury last month and is entitled to strip fitter for the outing. He is another worthy of a mention along with Fantastic Arts, from the in-form stable of Venetia Williams, although he is becoming expensive to follow. Gary Moore's Space Cowboy has bits and pieces of form that give him a chance but the four-year-old is pretty much exposed now and a bigger threat may come from Lustral du Seuil. Nicky Henderson's gelding showed a consistent level of form last term and, with his stable in form the lack of a recent outing may not be a problem. Mistral Boy has an obvious chance though and he gets the vote.
